Chrysanthemum plant named Cream Dana

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named Cream Dana particularly characterized by its flat capitulum form; daisy capitulum type; cream yellow ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum of 76 to 80 mm when fully opened, when grown as a pinched spray pot mum; photoperiodic flowering response to short days of 55 to 57 days; plant height, with 15 to 16 long days after sticking unrooted cuttings, and with 1 application of 2500 ppm B-9 SP, ranges from 28 to 30 cm when grown as a pinched pot mum with 4 cuttings in a 15 cm pot; branching pattern is spreading and prolific, each plant having 4 to 5 laterals after pinch; and recommended as spray pot mum.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, and referred to by the cultivar name Cream Dana.

Cream Dana, identified as 5596 (83-813B29), is a product of a mutation induction program. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by Cornelis P. VandenBerg on Jun. 9, 1989 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., as one flowering plant within a flowering block established as rooted cuttings from stock plants which had been exposed as unrooted cuttings to an X-ray source of 1750 rads in Fort Myers, Fla., on Nov. 24, 1988. The irradiated parent cultivar was the cultivar identified as Dana, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,243, and described as a daisy spray pot mum with a flat capitulum form; white ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum of 76 to 83 mm when fully opened; flowering response period of 49 to 57 days after start of short days; plant height of 20 to 30 cm with 1 to 3 applications of 2500 ppm B-9 SP when grown as a pinched pot mum in a 15 cm pot; and spreading and prolific branching pattern, with 4 to 5 laterals after pinch.

The irradiation program resulting in Cream Dana had as its primary objective the expansion of color ranges of the parent cultivar Dana. The irradiation program comprised irradiating cuttings of the parent cultivar at irradiation levels of 1500, 1750 and 2000 rads. A total of 1346 cuttings harvested from a total of 225 irradiated plants were planted on Apr. 17 and Mar. 27, 1989. Of these, 21 initial selections were made, which selections were then revegetated and reflowered. Three consecutive flowerings resulted in discarding 19 of the original 21 selections on Feb. 28, 1990. Two selections were retained and identified as Cream Dana and Yellow Dana. The latter is disclosed in pending application Ser. No. 07/743,096 of applicant, and is similar in characteristics to Cream Dana except for its bright yellow ray floret color and the slightly later (1-2 days) flowering response of Cream Dana to short days.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Cream Dana was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in August 1989 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., by technicians working under supervision of Cornelis P. VandenBerg.

Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successive plantings has shown that the unique combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for Cream Dana are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Cream Dana has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength, without, however, any variance in the genotype.

The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif. under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial greenhouse practice.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of Cream Dana, which, in combination, distinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Daisy capitulum type.

3. Cream yellow ray floret color.

4. Diameter across face of capitulum of 76 to 80 mm when fully opened, when grown as a pinched spray pot mum.

5. Photoperiodic flowering response to short days of 55 to 57 days.

6. Plant height, with 15 to 16 long days after sticking unrooted cuttings, and with 1 application of 2500 ppm B-9 SP, ranges from 28 to 30 cm when grown as a pinched pot mum with 4 cuttings in a 15 cm pot.

7. Branching pattern is spreading, each plant having 4 to 5 laterals after pinch.

8. Recommended as a spray pot mum.

The accompanying photographic drawing is a side view of a potted mum of Cream Dana, with 4 cuttings in a 15 cm pot, with the colors being as nearly true as possible with illustrations of this type.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar in comparison to Cream Dana is the parent cultivar Dana. All traits of Cream Dana are similar to those of Dana, except for the ray floret color and the flowering response to short days. Dana has a clear white ray floret color, while Cream Dana has a cream yellow ray floret color. In our flowering trials Cream Dana was flowering one to two days later than Dana. When comparing the description of Cream Dana with that of Dana, it is evident that Dana has a wider range for many characteristics than Cream Dana. The reason for this is that the description of Dana is based on evaluations over a 3 year time period, while the description of Cream Dana is based on considerably less flowerings in a shorter period of time.

In the following description color references are made to the Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determined on plant material grown as a pinched spray pot mum in Salinas, Calif. on Apr. 1, 1991.

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv. Cream Dana.

Commercial.--Flat daisy spray pot mum.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Daisy.

Diameter across face.--76 to 80 mm when fully opened.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Cream yellow.

Color (upper surface).--4C.

Color (under surface).--4C.

Shape.--Straight, slightly concave, rounded petal tips.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature).--13A.

Color (immature).--Yellow, overlaid with 144B.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; scant pollen.

Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets.

PLANT

A. General appearance:

Height.--28 to 30 cm when grown as a pinched pot mum with 15 to 16 long days prior to start of short days, with 1 application of 2500 ppm B-9 SP.

Branching pattern.--Spreading, with 4 to 5 laterals after pinch.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147A.

Color (under surface).--147B.

Shape.--Lobed. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named Cream Dana, as described and illustrated. 